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<br />Ibarra, Evelyn <br />From:Tony v <tonyviravega@gmail.com> <br />Sent:Tuesday, <br />To:eComment <br />Subject:Public comment on Item #30 <br /> Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. <br />Mayor and city council, <br />My name is Antonio Viramontes, and I am a resident of ward 3. <br />I am writing to you today to make a public comment in support of robust arts funding in our city. <br />Specifically, I want to advocate for Artists Grants and Event Sponsorships. I advocate for the city to fund this at 1 million <br />dollars a year. <br />Arts funding in our city is in jeopardy. Federal funding that has sustained grants that go directly to artists and <br />organizations has come to an end. The city has not funded our Arts and Culture Master Plan for over 6 years. The arts <br />funding that goes directly to local artists and local organizations has made a great and positive impact to our city and our <br />economic development in the last years. <br />For the last 3 years the arts and culture department has been able to award event sponsorships through Covid federal <br />money (Revive Santa Ana) in the amount of 300k a year and that funding has now run out. <br />Compared to other cities in Orange County who lack the vibrant and organic arts and culture, Santa Ana has one of the <br />smallest budgets in the county. <br />The total funding for the arts that goes directly to artists and grassroots organizations is 400K a year. Compared to a <br />staggering subsidy of over one million dollars that the Bowers Museum receives yearly. <br />I know you all take pride in our beautiful city of Santa Ana and its amazing cultures, which has been crafted by our local <br />artist. I urge you invest in the arts and artist of our community, <br /> <br />Thank you. <br /> <br />1 <br />